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After five Game 7s in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the puck is set to drop for Round 2 of the playoffs Tuesday night.
After summarily dismissing the Nashville Predators in the 1st Round, the Colorado Avalanche led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar continue to be the favorites (+180) to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. As it should, the challenge grows more intense as the Avs’ next opponent is the more veteran and playoff-tested St. Louis Blues who are led by veteran Ryan O’Reilly.
The Battle of Alberta is renewed for the first time since 1991 as Johnny Gaudreau and the Calgary Flames take on Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. No question that match-up should produce fireworks.
On the other side of the continent, the Battle for Florida will be waged. The Florida Panthers earned the President’s Trophy and possess the shortest odds (+340) to win the Stanley Cup in the Eastern Conference. To even advance to the Conference Final, though, Johnathan Huberdeau and co. will need to dethrone the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning have not lost consecutive playoff games in more than two years. A Game 1 victory seems to be imperative for the Panthers.
The fourth conference semi-final game features Igor Shesterkin and the New York Rangers matching up against Sebastian Aho and the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina was the better team down the stretch when the two met, but the Vezina winner-to be Shesterkin kept each game close.
Each of the eight teams remaining in the tournament have a realistic path to Lord Stanley’s Cup. Whether it means relying on a hot goaltender or an explosive offense, each of the eight can believe they can be the team that reaches 16 wins this Spring. The next step for each is an opponent in Round 2 that can crush their dreams if they are not playing their best hockey.
EDGE Analysts Matt Bernier (@bernier_matt) and Josh Wagner (@jwaggs10) take a deeper dive into each series of the second round in an effort to help every reader cash tickets. The Series’ odds are noted for each team.
Colorado Avalanche (-450) vs. St. Louis Blues (+330)
Bernier: Blues in Seven
The Avalanche toyed with an undermanned Nashville Predators team in the first round, but things will get considerably more difficult in the second round against the St. Louis Blues. As someone with positions on the Blues winning the Western Conference and Stanley Cup, this may be a bit more heart than head – but maybe not. St. Louis continues to shine on special teams, and while it is still my belief that Ville Husso is the better goaltender, it is best to ride the hot hand at this point in Jordan Binnington.
Colorado is the more talented team top-to-bottom, but this Blues team has the pieces necessary to spring an upset. In my opinion, the winner of this series will go on to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.
Wagner: Avalanche in Six
If it was not clear during the regular season it is now: the Avalanche are the team to beat in the NHL. The Avs were the only team to get a sweep in the 1st round when they dispatched the Predators with relative ease.
That time has given Darcy Kuemper plenty of time to heal up from that stick that poked him in the eye. In front of him is the most dynamic offense in the league led by Cale Makar and his ten points in the opening round series and Nathan MacKinnon who led the offense as a whole to 21 total goals in that sweep of the Predators. This group will be tested against St. Louis, though and we will get a real good look if Colorado can take that next step and defeat a team whose roster features many of the players who won the Stanley Cup for St. Louis not that long ago.
Calgary Flames (-176) vs. Edmonton Oilers (+155)
Wagner: Flames in Six
I was generally underwhelmed with both of these teams in the 1st round. That said, I cannot really blame Calgary. In fact, maybe they deserve more credit for solving Jake Oettinger. The Dallas goaltender was simply a brick wall throughout that opening round series. After that performance the Flames have at least a dozen goals on back order and it looks like the 40-year-old netminder Mike Smith of the Oilers will be left to sign for that package.
I want to believe in the supreme talents of Connor McDavid, but this team is just not built the right way and they are going to be exposed defensively against a deep Flames unit. Edmonton will win a couple at home but that will likely be it.
Bernier: Oilers in Seven
Calgary is the better team, but Connor McDavid took his game to a new level in Game 7 of Edmonton’s first round series against the Los Angeles Kings. As was the case in the opening round, the Oilers’ success will be largely dependent on the performance of Mike Smith in net, but McDavid may very well take this series over and be the difference-maker. The four regular season matchups between these two sides were high scoring affairs with the Oilers scoring at least five goals in three of the four games. The Flames were able to outlast Dallas and Jake Oettinger in the first round, but perhaps this is McDavid’s time. I think Edmonton can spring a mild upset in the Battle of Alberta.
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Florida Panthers (-154) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (+131)
Bernier: Lightning in Seven
Florida was pushed by a Washington Capitals team that is solid, but not spectacular. If the Panthers play in a similar fashion against the Lightning in the second round, their season will come to an end. Carter Verhaeghe was outstanding in the first round against Washington, scoring six goals and assisting on six others to pace Florida’s high-octane offense. He will need to perform similarly in the second round if the Panthers are to advance, as Tampa looks to be rounding into the form that has seen them win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
The most crucial aspect of this series – and Tampa’s postseason hopes, for that matter – is Andrei Vasilevskiy. The reigning Conn Smythe winner was largely mediocre for the first five games of the Lightning’s series with the Toronto Maple Leafs before shifting things into overdrive in Game 6 and Game 7. Game 7 was vintage Vasilevskiy, stopping 30 of 31 shots against in Tampa’s 2-1 win. When he is at his best, there is nobody better. Tampa will advance, primarily because of the presence of Vasilevskiy between the pipes.
Wagner: Panthers in Seven
The curse is finally dead after 26 years! That is right. I just saw the 1st series win in my lifetime for the Florida Panthers. With that behind them, there are still expectations and a series against the Lightning will be daunting. Sergei Bobrovsky makes me nervous in net, but this Tampa Bay team showed some cracks against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Florida will work to further expose those flaws.
The key storyline is the health of Brayden Point. He is doubtful for Game 1. The longer he is out, the greater the advantage swings to the Panthers. The Florida Panthers are a faster and a hungrier team right now. Expect the Panthers to pounce and expel some more postseason demons!
Carolina Hurricanes (-185) vs. New York Rangers (+150)
Wagner: Hurricanes in Five
When the month of May started, I picked the Hurricanes to win the Eastern Conference. I still remain on that bandwagon as we head into Round 2. Carolina was able to survive a 7-game series scare from the Bruins without the services of their starting goaltender Frederik Andersen and that takes guts. This Hurricanes’ team is full of guts and I love that about them.
As far as the Rangers are concerned, they were extremely fortunate to make it out of the 1st round. They were outplayed for huge stretches but were able to dispatch a 3rd string goalie and a banged-up Penguins’ roster. The Hurricanes are lightyears better than Pittsburgh and while the Rangers appear likely to face another backup goaltender in Antti Raanta, they will be bullied in this series physically and on the scoreboard if Igor Shesterkin does not return to the form he displayed throughout the regular season.
Bernier: Hurricanes in Five
The Rangers were able to claw their way back from down 3-1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, but there is little statistical data that would suggest they were the better team. Carolina held serve in their four home games, defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games to advance to the second round, but a case can be made that they should have closed that series out in five or six.
Freddy Andersen’s status is still murky, at best, but Antti Raanta has filled in admirably. This feels very straightforward: The Hurricanes are a far better team than the Rangers and, unless Igor Shesterkin stands on his head, should advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
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